Dear Julia,
It's a good question - with rather few answers.
Distinguish first between books withdrawn through obsolescence and those
withdrawn because they are physically worn out. I take it your enquiry
refers to the second category and in the public library context.
Doug Betts examined this in the late 1970s in Surrey and found life of
paperbacks was generally about 25 issues and of hardbacks 60 - 75 isues.
More recent research in Essex upped the life of paperbacks to 30 - 40 issues.
But people ought also to distinguish between:
Paperbacks with protective plastic covers
Mass market paperbacks
'Superior' paperbacks, i.e. hardback quality paper/print but with a
soft cover
The most recent research is reproduced in LISU/BML PERSPECTIVES OF PUBLIC
LIBRARY USE 2, ISBN 1 901786 14 5, 1999 pages 176-181 which summarises a
LISU report by Reuben, J. & Spiller, D. PAPERBACKS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES,
ISBN 1 901786 161.
Hope this helps
John Sumsion
Please send your replies to [log in to unmask]
>
>Hello,
>
>I am looking at different ways of costing book use and was hoping
>someone might be able to offer advice.
>
>Is there a standard "book life", depending on variables such as
>whether a title is a hard-back or paperback, how many times it is
>borrowed, etc? Is it possible, for example, to say that the life of a
>hardback sitting on a shelf is 20 years; but that if it is borrowed for
>50% of the time its life would be only 10 years? Throwing in the
>cost of the book to the above, could then a hypothetical cost per
>loan be devised?
>
>What I'm really looking for is some sort of equation or formula that
>could be used.
>
>I have checked LISA but haven't been able to find much.
>
>best regards
>
>Julia
>****************************************************
>Julia Barrett, Architecture/Planning Library,
>UCD, Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Ireland
>Tel: 00 353 1 706 2741; Fax: 00 353 1 283 0329
>email:[log in to unmask]
>
>
>------- End of forwarded message -------
>****************************************************
>Julia Barrett, Architecture/Planning Library,
>UCD, Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Ireland
>Tel: 00 353 1 706 2741; Fax: 00 353 1 283 0329
>email:[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>Associate Librarian
>Information & Resources
>Main Library
>University College Dublin
>Belfield, D4.
John Sumsion - Senior Fellow, Department of Information Science,
Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU, (UK). Tel +44
(0) 1509 223082/223052. Fax: 223053.
HOME ADDRESS (preferred): The Granary, 29 Main Street, Rotherby, Melton
Mowbray, Leics. LE14 2LP. Tel: +44 (0) 1664 434485. Fax: 434918
[same e-mail]
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